Theory in Biosciences - Special Issue

This Special Issue “Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919): The German Darwin and his impact on modern biology” is published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Haeckel’s death on 9 August 2019. Ernst Haeckel was one of the leading evolutionary biologists of the 19th century and a gifted artist with a great philosophical background. Guest editors of the special issue are editorial board member Ulrich Kutschera (University of Kassel, Germany), Georgy S. Levit, and Uwe Hossfeld (both University of Jena, Germany). All articles in this issue will be freely available through May 25th, 2019. Open access content will of course remain freely available after that date.

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Ernst Haeckel was a German zoologist, artist, and philosopher of science, who defended and supplemented Charles Darwin’s system of theories regarding the mechanisms of biological evolution. In this Special Issue, the Laudatio read by the President of the Linnean Society London (1 July 1908), when Haeckel was awarded the Darwin-Wallace Medal, is reproduced. Then, the importance of Haeckel’s original concepts, insights, and theories with reference to our current knowledge in the areas of evolutionary biology, molecular phylogenetics, systematic zoology, and philosophical issues today is highlighted.A quote from Ulrich Kutschera “Ernst Haeckel is one of the ‘forgotten heroes’ of the biological sciences, despite the fact that he made substantial contributions to the development of our modern evolutionary view of the biosphere. In this Special Issue of Theory in Biosciences, Georgy Levit, Uwe Hossfeld and I present, in addition to our Editorial, thirteen original papers which reflect the many-facetted productions of this great scientist and artist.